Sudanese presidential candidates withdraw from race

A group of Sudanese presidential candidates have decided to withdraw from the presidential race

A group of Sudanese presidential candidates have decided to withdraw from the presidential race in the country's first multiparty elections in decades because the contests would be unfair.

A statement following a meeting Thursday of presidential candidates said the majority of the nine attending would boycott the race, the AP reported. One candidate's spokesman, however, said that at least six candidates, including one from a major party, out of 11 challenging President Omar al-Bashir will still contest the elections.

The decision comes after Southern Sudan's main political party pulled its candidate from the April 11 election.

One party, The Sudan People's Liberation Movement pulled Yassir Arman — widely considered the most serious challenger to al-Bashir's re-election bid — from the race late Wednesday. The party also announced that it will not field candidates in the Darfur region for local or nationwide parliamentary elections being held at the same time as the presidential vote.